Wycombe Wanderers (A) the most important game since 1993.

[New Cobbler]

This is the biggest game of the season, it won’t decide who goes down officially, but lose this game and the blow struck is massive. The pressure on both teams is huge and Wilder feels the experience within the squad will be crucial. “That changing room is full of experience,” he said. “Out of the remaining four teams we’ve got left to play, I would say that group has more experience than all of them. We need to use that in vital situations and in making big decisions in those situations. Would I rather have an experienced team or an inexperienced team? I’d rather have experience and I think it will prove key, having had those players in certain situations before. We’ve played pressure football all season and we’ve handled that as seen in our results. Experience is going to be invaluable over the next four games and we’ve certainly got that in abundance. We’ve won some big games at Torquay, Exeter and Accrington and generally we are hard to beat and we’ve got enough about us to go and win a game of football.”

The confidence the team has regained since the loss to Bury and the support they will get from the fans is another crucial factor that should only help the players. “We certainly needed to do something after the Bury game and the response from everybody has been terrific and that needs to carry on. We had a meeting after the Bury game because it wasn’t very good from our point of view,” said the Cobblers boss. “The tempo, work ethic and atmosphere in training have been superb and the quality has been there as well and if you can get things right on the training pitch then that rolls over into the games.” The support the team will get could also make a difference, “We saw against Burton what that support did for the players, it drove them over the line and I’m sure when we walk out at Wycombe we will look to the left and see a sea of claret.”

I expect the players to perform, they have recovered well since the Bury game. The disapoinmwnt of dropping points at home to Wimbledon clearly effected their performance on that day, but they have got themselves together again I think 2 wins from the final 4 games should see us safe.
Wilder was without three key players in Mathias Doumbe, Zander Diamond and Darren Carter for the win over Burton. That led to a change in formation, and the Town boss was full of praise for the players that came into the team, and those who played in different positions. “We have played a different system with three at the back,” said Wilder. The manager must now choose if he is going to stick with that formation or use the 4-4-2 he has mainly played with during his time in charge, and whether either Diamond or Doumbe will come back into the side.  “I have to pick the right team and the right formation. We did that against Burton and we need to make selections based on the opposition and on merit.”
My preference would be to revert back to the 4-4-2. It’s great to see Wilder play with a back 3, it’s a useful alternative but the players he used in that system last week was extremely attacking and perhaps slightly unbalanced in terms of players playing out of position so for such a big game I would like him to keep the system of play he has used for most of his reign so far. He wanted to use the system earlier on against Bury but had to change his plan due Robertson pulling out. It can be something he can use if we need a goal.

I would bring Zander Diamond and Doumbe back into the team at centre-half. They are more comfortable defending deep, closer to their penalty box, but the qualities they bring I think we will need. McSweeney has right full-back nailed down so the only other selection dilemma is at left-back, Robertson or Horwood. On recent form I think Horwood should keep his place. With no Carter there is a space in central midfield alongside Ravenhill free and I would put Tozer in there alongside him. He was excellent last week and deserves on his performance to keep his place in the side and is not unaccumtomsed to playing that midfield scrapper role alongside Ravenhill (although i think his best position is in central defence). He also brings a useful weapon with his throw-in. On the wings Hackett and Morris keep their places on form and in attack we will need Emile Sinclair to provide pace and penetration with his runs into the channels on the break. I would select Marquis alongside because he provides a physical presence that the team lacks when Connell plays. This leaves Wilder with good options on the bench if he needs to change the game. 


 

 

[sbedscobb]

Its day of the biggest game since our last biggest game, last weeks

Having listened to both managers, they both seem comfortable should it end in a draw, so I expect two sides cancelling each other out for 90 mins, much like a 1st leg of a tight European tie. Got 0-0 written all over it.
This would suit them better due to superior GD.

[lodgeadam]

Its day of the biggest game since our last biggest game, last weeks

Having listened to both managers, they both seem comfortable should it end in a draw, so I expect two sides cancelling each other out for 90 mins, much like a 1st leg of a tight European tie. Got 0-0 written all over it.
This would suit them better due to superior GD.

Naa we'll stuff 'em!!

[Bath Cobbler]

The stats point to a low scoring away win.  Wycombe have the third worst home record, only better than Torquay and Exeter, and we know what happened to those two when we played them away.

Northampton and Wycombe both average only 2 goals per game, over half of Wycombe's home games have been level at half time and Wycombe are second from bottom in the form table (we are 8th).

Therefore I predict: 0-0 at halftime followed by a 2-0 away win. Up the Cobblers!!

[JollyCobbler]

You've got to think 0-0, 1-1, or a one goal advantage to one side (hopefully us). Let's just hope we're smiling come 5pm; and let's hope David Cardoza is inspired by visiting a 10,000 capacity stadium, and it gives him some ideas

[guest49]

They have been queuing since 10 for home tickets. Limited away tickets on the gate. It's going to be emotional.

[betamax toploader]

[guest49]

Confirmed sell out for us. Come on!

[WasRambo]

Cheers keeper!

[WasRambo]

Crap....

[Winslow Lee]

Exeter winning at Chesterfield!!!

[WasRambo]

All irrelevant if we can't pick up some wins....

[guest49]

A bit of argy bargy as they stopped loads of cobblers fans coming in even though they had tickets. They jumped the turnstile and most got stopped inside by stewards. I saw the 12th get by. Then when we scored the lot stormed the stewards and got in. About 10 mins later 3 plod appeared but don't look interested.

There is your half time entertainment.

[guest49]

In terms of the game, we have been pretty woeful and shaky at the back but it's one of those games. They like to fall over a lot, the pitch is terrible and Marquis is going to get sent off if he isn't subbed sharpish, even though he has hardly committed a foul.
Big 45 mins.

[WasRambo]

10 minutes of added time!!!

C'MOOOOOOOOOOON Cobblers!

[Bingers]

Don't think that is going to be enough.

[Wolvo]

Just need Portsmouth to win and lose their next two games now...

[SBJ]

Looks like it's 'as you were' - every team above us in the bottom half got a point too (except Portsmouth, Bristol and Hartlepool who play tomorrow). Actually Cheltenham lost but they seem too far ahead to be caught now anyway.

[A view from the east]

On holiday and only managed to get the second half on the Player.
Tbh we sounded bloody awful and the substitutions were a bit perplexing.
Seemed we did well to escape with the point.

[Winslow Lee]

Could do with oxford losing their next couple of games and having nothing to play for come the final game of the season, also a bit if a shame that Torquay are all but down with a couple of other sides at the bottom to play. Anything is still possible and with so many crazy and suprise results you would almost have to be crazy to predict anything with any sort of confidence.